South Korea Starts Off World Tour on the Wrong Foot

South Korea coach Dick Advocaat has said that the team’s world tour is about fitness and keeping his domestic-based players in game shape. Looks like the Koreans have a fair bit of work to go on both accounts.

The United Arab Emirates defeated South Korea 1-0 today in a friendly match that was supposed to be an easy victory for South Korea. According to match reports, South Korea controlled the possession but lacked in the finishing department.

Should fans be concerned? Yes and no. It is always a concern when a team loses to an inferior opponent, but this was the first game back for most of the Korean players after the K-league ended in December. On talent alone, Korea will beat UAE eight out of ten times, but today wasn’t about talent. It was about fitness or Korea’s lack thereof.

You can be sure that Advocaat will be working his players hard in practice, but first the team must head to Saudi Arabia where it will take on Greece in a four-team tournament. I don’t expect much of a result against the 2004 European champions, but again it will be more about getting the players into game shape and less about the result on the scoreboard.